Roxy Hastings — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

66 ROXY HASTINGS. part of the cart, until he was reluctantly convinced that the bundle was not there. | He returned very irate and mortified, convinced that Luke had the parcel with him, and certain, from its size, that he should be able to see or feel it protruding some- where from his person. The wagon was ‘‘righted,” and the wheel put on, with the old man’s aid, and then the watchful Shem said : “Lend us yer knife, old feller, to make a lynch pin with, which jacket you keep it in?” He passed his hand rapidly over the exterior of old Luke’s pockets, and other portions of his person, as he spoke, but without finding any evidence of the presence of what he so much longed for, and convinced at last that he was effectually foiled he gave up the contest. “T don’t b’lieve it was anyting more’n some dirty clothes for de wash woman,” he said to Mose, as they drove off; ‘and he’s left it at old Peggy Gray’s as he came along.” Luke went back chuckling to his cart, for he well under- stood the whole ruse against which he had so successfully counterplotted. When Shem had passed him in such seeming good na- ture, yet peering so closely at him he had been convinced that mischief was on foot, and as soon as Moses’ wagon was well past he had stopped old Whitey, got hastily out, . and deposited his treasure in a corner of the zig-zag rail fence which skirted the road. Then taking notice of some land-marks which would enable him easily to find the place again he got in and drove on very composedly, until, as has been seen, he overtook the artful Shem and his companion. It was a con- test of negro cunning, in which honesty had signally tri- umphed. Luke had no difficulty in regaining his prize, and he took care that more than one returning team was interposed be- tween him and his covetous acquaintances before he again started on his homeward journey. CHAPTER XII. ALARMING NEWS. The next morning Luke obtained admission empty-handed to the military prison in which young Lee was confined, but not without a serious diminution of his golden guerdon. Eomicbooks.co